Towards Table-Top Synchrotron Light Sources

Synchrotron radiation is a form of high-intensity X-rays, which enables high precision analysis of materials. It is widely used by industry in the fields of pharmaceuticals, semiconductors and even cosmetics. Industry currently turns to large synchrotron facilities for such analyses. However, in countries with no such facilities, industry must look abroad, which may be out of reach for some companies. Consequently, a collaboration in the Netherlands, named Smart*Light, has started the development of table-top Inverse Compton Scattering source for high-intensity X-ray beams. It will enable scientific and industrial applications over a wide range of X-ray energies, such as art analysis and biological soft tissue analysis. CERN's contribution to the consortium is the know-how and expertise in high-gradient X-band accelerator structures.